Collapsible tube roller



Oct. 21, 1952 JUNG Q 2,614,729

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ROLLER Filed Aug. 11, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

v Alba/'2 HJzmg ATTOR/VEY Patenteci Oct. 21, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE ROLLER Albert H. Jung, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Victor Industries Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York- Application August 11, 1949, Serial No. 109,683

9 Claims.

This invention relates to rollers for flattening and winding up the emptied end portions of collapsible tubes thereby to effect the overall shortening of the tube progressively as its contents are dispensed.

The invention contemplates the provision of a three part tube roller, the two end parts being preferably identical tapered slotted and interchangeable, and the central part being in the form of a resilient slotted expansible sleeve adapted to receive and hold the end parts adjustably therein, whereby the roller may be used for tubes of various widths within a limited range depending on the degree to which thesleeve is forcibly expanded and the end parts contracted.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a tube roller consisting of end parts designed to telescope longitudinally to a greater or lesser extent into a central hollow part and to hold frictionally therein, there being alignable longitudinal slots in the parts for the passage therethrough of the flattened end portion of a collapsible tube which locks the parts of the roller against relative rotation, the roller being quickly disassembled and removed from the tube merely by a longitudinal pull thereon.

The invention further contemplates the provision of an inexpensive three part roller adapted to be made of suitable slightly resilient synthetic plastic resin orthe like and readily assembled and disassembled by relative longitudinal movement in the proper direction and resisting separation when assembled, thereby to hold on a collapsible tube without danger of becoming separated therefrom until it is-desired to remove it.

The various objects of the invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, taken through the slots thereof, of the separated roller parts, showing in dash-dot lines the lower flattened end of a collapsible tube passing through the slot of the middle part of the roller.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the assembled roller, the collapsible tube being partly broken away and foreshortened.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the roller with one headed end part removed asthe roller appears assembled with a collapsible tube which is partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the roller as it appears with its parts separated, showing in dash-dot lines the and parts telescoped into the midde part enough to bind the parts together and to accommodate a collapsible tube of maximum diameter.

. 2 Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the roller of Fig. 4, but with one end part omittedshowing how the tubular portions of the roller parts may be distorted as the parts are telescoped into each other to a greater or lesser extentand showing a different shape for the head of the end parts. a i

In the practicalembodiment of the invention shown herein by way of example, the tube-roller is made of three parts, the middle part It and the preferably identical and interchangeable end parts H and i2. Each'of the parts is preferably made of suitable somewhat resilient synthetic plastic material, the middle. part In being a longitudinally slotted sleeve preferably of slightly less length than. the diameter of the smallest collapsible tube l3 with which it is to be used. The slot l4 runs completely through the entire length of the sleeve whereby the sleeve may be expanded somewhat as a plug is forced into the end thereof, the slot i4 becoming widened on such expansion as is indicated in Fig. 5 in connection with the slot 3 l Each end part of the roller comprises an enlarged winding head liof any suitable shape, from which projects centrally the tubular portion l6 having a tapered or conical outer surface IT and provided with the longitudinal slot Hi therethrough. The smallest diameter of the conical outer surface I1 is somewhat less than the inner diameter of the end portion of the sleeve it, while the'greatest diameter of said surface ll is adjacent the head l5 and is somewhat greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve. The slot I8 permits the tubular portion IE to become contracted or distorted slightly when said portion is forced into the sleeve [0, the sleeve being expansible by reason of its slot it under the pressure of said portion l6.

It will therefore be seen that the overall length of the assembled roller, that is, the combined lengths of the sleeve with the end parts H and I2 telescoped forcibly into the. respective ends thereof, may be varied to a useful extent, depending on how far into the sleeve the end parts are forced. The tubular parts It are each long enough to permit the conical surface ll thereof to engage the inner surface I 9 of the sleeve at longitudinally spaced points of said surface as the end part is pushed further into the sleeve to make the width of the assembled roller approximate the diameter of a smaller collapsible tube. The expansion of the sleeve permits the tubular portion to be pushed further thereinto to the correct position and therefore, in connection with the contraction of the tubular portively toward eachother whereby the end 20- enters the interior of the sleeve and the part of the tube above the clip enters the slot i l. The end part II of the roller is then turned into a position wherein the slot [8 can receive the thin flattened edge portion of the tube l3, whereafter said part II is pushed into the sleeve until the head thereof is at or close to the edge of the tube. The end part I2 is similarly inserted into the other end of the sleeve- Friction and the tendencyof! the parts to bind as hereinbefore explained, are sufficient to hold the parts together, said parts being prevented from rotating relatively to each other and to the tube by the locking action of the tube thereon. As the contents of the tube are dispensed, the heads 1-5 of the end parts are rotated to wind up the tube andthereby to shorten it. When the tube has been emptied, the parts are readily separated. by. first unwindingthe tube from the roller and then pulling the end parts-out of the sleeve and the sleeve .ofi the tube ready for attachment to a fresh tube.

In the form ofthe invention shown in Figs. 4 and5, a look more positive than friction is provided to hold the assembled roller parts together against accidental separation in connection with all but'the largest size tube. In that form, the inner surface of the sleeve 22 is ridgedortoothed or provided with spaced apart annular shoulders as 23. each having a rounded inner corner as 24. The conical surfaces 25 join the respective corners 24 to the outer-edges of the succeeding shoulders 23. In one end part of the sleeve constituting less than half the length thereof, the surfaces 25are parallel and slope in the same direction, but in the other end portion of the sleeve the corresponding surfaces 25' slope'in a reverse direction.

The tubular portion 26 of the end part 2'! is provided with a ridged outer surfacecorresponding to the surfaces 25: and having the annular shoulders 28 joined at the inner edges thereof by the conical surfaces ,29 to the outer edges of the succeeding shoulders so that the; shoulders extend inwardly from the outer surface ofsaid portion 26. The other end part 30.0f the roller is identical to the part 21 for interchangeability. The slot 31 is made in thesleeve 221while a pair ofopposed slots 32, 33. is made in the tubular portions of theend parts 2'! and 30; Obviously however, any-number'of longitudinal slots as desired may be made in the tubular portion 26 to weaken said portion to the desired extent so that itmay'contract to the. proper diameter to permit said portion to be forced into the sleeve to the position desired. Obviously also, as many ridges, teeth or shoulders 23 and 28' as desired may be provided in the respective middle and end parts of the roller to give the coarse or fine adjustment needed for the required range of collapsible tube diameters to which the roller is adapted.

To assemble the parts, the end. part 2'! is pushed .into the sleeve, 22. afterv the. clipped end of the tube has been positioned in the sleeve and in the slot of the sleeve. The slot 32 of the end part receives the flattened part of the tube as herebefore described. The end 34 of the tubular portion being smaller than the end of the hole in the sleeve, said end readily enters the sleeve, but the increasing diameter of the conical surface or 25 of the sleeve expands the sleeve and contracts the portion 26 until a shoulder 28 passes the sleeve shoulder 23 to carry the small diameter of the surface 29 into register with the large diameter of the sleeve surface 25 or 25' at which time the pressure is released with a snap action and the shoulders 23 and 28 abut each other. Such action locks the parts in place until they are deliberately pulled apart longitudinally, at which time the cam action of the shoulder 28 on the rounded corner 24 of the shoulder permits the parts to be separated. In the assembly of the parts, each end part is pushed into the sleeve as far'as needed, the shoulder 28 moving past successive shoulders 24 until the preferably solid head 35 of the end part is stopped by the edge of the tube or until said head engages the end of, the sleeve.

In the dash-dot positions of the end parts shown in Fig. 4, the conical surfaces at the extreme ends of the end parts. 21 and 30 are in pressed contact with the end conical inner surfaces 25 and 25' of the sleeve respectively at the respectiveends of the sleeve, the diameters of the parts being such asto hold them frictionally together without the need for engagement of the shoulders 23 and 28 in the same manner as in the, form shown in Fig. .1. This position gives the greatestoverall length of the roller and is that required for the largest size of collapsible tube. For smaller size tubes, the shoulder 28 is engaged with a-selected one of the sleeve shoulders asdescribed.

It will be seen that when the roller parts are assembled with the tube l3 as above described, they cannot become accidentally detached from each other or from the tube, but can readily be removed from the tube and from each other by a sharp pull as hereinbefore explained to reduce the binding pressure in,the case of the parts I0, I l and |2, or to-expand thesleeve and permit the withdrawal of the end part past the sleeve shoulders, inthe case; of the parts: 22, 21 and 30. It will further be understood, that the assembled roller is easily operatedby thefingers of the useracting on theheadsof theend parts as finger rips to roll up the tube: as it is emptied, that assembly and disassembly of the, roller is easy and may be quickly and easily done by unskilled persons, that the .rollermay readily be adjusted to tubes of different diameters by telescoping the parts together tov a greater or lesser extent and that a device has beenprovided well adapted to perform itsyintended'functions.

While certain specific forms: of the invention havev herein been shownand described, various obvious changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the-appended claims.

I claim:

1. Athree part'tuberoller comprising a sleeve having a longitudinal slot therethrough and having a smooth cylindrical outer surface and a smooth cylindrical inner surface, and a pair of identical interchangeable end parts each having anenlarged head and atubular portion projecting. from the head and having a longitudinal slot therethrough, the outer surface of the tubular portion being smooth and frusto-conical and having its greatest diameter adjacent the head greater than the inner diameter of-the sleeve, the-tubular portion being adapted to be forced into the interior of the sleeve any selected onetof a number of different distances to expand thesleeve to a greater extent and to contra-ct the tubular portion: to a greater extent as the tubular portion is forced further into different positions in the sleeve thereby to engage and to'be held in the I ing into the interior of ing said parts together againstrelative rotation;

each of the end parts being removable 'frcmthe sleeve part independently of the other end part held to the sleeve part independently of the other sleeve frictionally, the'slots of the sleeve and of g the two end'parts being longitudinall y aligned in the assembled position of the sleeve and said end parts whereby said sleeve and end parts are locked together for rotation as a unitwhen the end portion of a collapsible tube is passed;

through the slots into the interior of the sleeve, each of said end parts being removable from the sleeve by a longitudinal outward pull thereon.

2. A three part roller comprisin a longitudinally slotted resilient sleeve and a pair of identical headed and longitudinally slotted resilient l tubular end parts each adapted to be telescoped into an end part of the interior of the sleeve for engagement with an inner'su'rface of the sleeve with the slots of the sleeve and said end parts in longitudinal alignment, the outer diameter of part of the tubular portion being greater than the diameter of that part of the sleeve engaged thereby to expand the sleeveand to contract the tubular end parts on the telescopingof the end parts into the sleeve by'relative'axial movement thereof, each of the endparts being removable from the sleeve independently of-the other byan outward axial movement. I 3. A three part roller comprising a longitudinally slotted resilient sleeve and a pair of identical headed and longitudinally, slotted resilient tubular end parts each adapted to be telescoped into an end of the sleeve for engagement with conical surfaces each increasing in diameter in a direction opposite to that of the other series and from the middle of the sleeve toward the adjacent end of the sleeve and each terminating in an annular shoulder having a convexly rounded innermost corner. I

4. The roller of claim 2, the outer surface of the tubular portion being smooth and frustoconical and the inner surface of the sleeve being smooth and cylindrical.

5. In a tube roller, a resilient slotted sleeve partand a pair of end parts each having a head and a resilient slotted tubular portion projecting from the head and adapted to enter and engage the sleeve part, each of the end parts having a conical surface slidable on the inner surface of the sleeve part under longitudinal pressure on the parts and binding said parts frictionally to resistsliding beyond a predetermined extent, at least part of said inner surface being of lesser diameter than the greatest diameter of the tubuand'by a longitudinal movement and being self end part in selectedtelescoping relation to the sleeve bait.

6.'In a tube roller, a pair of lorigitudinally slotted tubular members each having onits outer surface a plurality of ridges each terminating in an annular shoulder, said ridges being arranged 1 in longitudinal spaced relation, and alongitudinallyslotted: sleeve having onits inner surface a plurality of'annular recesses adapted to re- 'ceive the respective ridges when the members are telescoped respectively into the opposite ends of the interior of the sleeve, each of the recesses having an annular shoulder adapted to engage lar portion, the outer surface of. the sleeve part being smooth and cylindrical, the slots in said parts being longitudinally aligned for'the reception of the end portion of a'collapsible tube passa corresponding shoulder of a ridge, the shoulder I of the recess having a convexly rounded corner to permit disengagement of the engaged'shoulders of the ridges and recesses on relative longitudinal movement of the member and the sleeve, the

slots of the member and the sleeve being normally aligned with each other.

7. A three part roller comprising a sleeve having a smooth cylindrical outer surface and having a longitudinal slot extending therethrough and extending throughout the entire length of the sleeve, a first end part having an enlarged head and a tubular portion less than half the length of the sleeveand projecting integrally from the head, said tubular portion having a longitudinal slot therethrough extending throughout the length of the tubular portion and of substantially v the same width as the slot in the sleeve, the outer surface of the tubular portion being smaller in diameter at the end thereof remote from the head than the normal diameter of the end portion of the sleeve and being of larger diameter adjacent the head than said normal diameter of the end portion of the sleeve, said tubular portion being adapted for removable insertion into one end of the interior of the sleeve to a variable extent and to project beyond the end of the sleeve to a variable extent thereby to expand the sleeve I and to contract said tubular portion, the slot of said portion being arranged in longitudinal alignment with the slot of the sleeve in the assembled positions of the sleeve and said first part whereby the end part of a collapsible tube may be inserted through the aligned slots into the interior of thesleeve and of said first part, and a second part substantially identical with said first part and interchangeable therewith and adapted to be inserted into the other end of the interior of the sleeve to a variable extent and having a longitudinal slot therein identical with the slot of said first part and arranged in the assembled positions of said second part and the sleeve in longitudinal alignment with the slots of the sleeve and said first part, saidpart being removable independently of each other from the sleeve by an outward pull and being locked 'together and to the sleeve for rotation as a unit by said end portion of the collapsible tube passing through the slots;

8. The roller of claim 7, the outer surface of the tubular portion of each of said first and sec- 0nd parts consisting of a plurality'of coaxial identical frusto-conical surfaces all tapering in the same direction.

9. The roller of claim 8, less than half "of the inner surface of the sleeve beginning at one end the sleeve part andviock 7 and progressing toward the middle of the'sleeve comprisingv a first set-of; coaxial identical: frustoconical surfaces each tapering inwardly toward the; middle of the: sleevega second set, of coaxial identical frustoconicalxsurfaces constituting less than half of said; inner surfaces of the sleevebeginning: at; the oppositeendof the sleeve and progressing toward the middle of the sleeve and each tapering inwardly toward the middle of the sleeve and in a direction substantially opposite to thedirection of taper of the first setof frustoconical surfaces.- V

ALBERT H. JUNG.

RIEIFERENCESv CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 'Rembilt Mar. 18, 1913 Dial Mar. 18, 1924 Schwertner Aug. 3, 1937 Hoppenstand Mar. 15,1938 Jackson June 15, 1948 Renouf Dec, 27, 1949 

